Infant carrier with expandable seat

Abstract

An adjustable infant carrier includes a waist belt disposable about the waist of the wearer. A pair of shoulder straps is coupled to the waist belt, wherein each shoulder strap includes a free end portion and an opposed proximal end portion coupled to the waist belt. A carrier body is coupled to the waist belt and is connectable to the shoulder straps. The carrier body includes a middle section and a pair of conversion flaps disposed on opposed sides of the middle section. Each conversion flap is selectively transitional between a narrow configuration, wherein a free end portion of the conversion flap is connected to the middle section, and a wide configuration, wherein the free end portion of the conversion flap is connected to the waist belt.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An adjustable infant carrier wearable by a user for carrying an infant, the infant carrier comprising:
 a waist belt disposable about the waist of the wearer; 
 a connecting panel coupled to, and extending from, the waist belt; 
 a pair of shoulder straps each having a proximal end portion and an opposed free end portion and a middle section disposed between the proximal end portion and the free end portion, the proximal end portion of each should strap being separated from the waist belt by the connecting panel, which is located between the proximal end portion of each shoulder strap and the waist belt; 
 a pair of adjustment straps, each adjustment strap extending from the free end portion of a respective one of the shoulder straps; 
 a pair of elastic straps, each elastic strap extending between a respective one of the adjustment straps and the middle section of a corresponding one of the shoulder straps, such that a pair of closed loops are completely and collectively defined by respective ones of the shoulder straps, adjustment straps and elastic straps; and 
 a carrier body coupled to the waist belt and connectable to the shoulder straps, the carrier body having a middle section and a pair of conversion flaps disposed on opposed sides of the middle section, each conversion flap being selectively transitional between a narrow configuration, wherein a free end portion of the conversion flap is connected to the middle section, and a wide configuration, wherein the free end portion of the conversion flap is connected to the waist belt. 
 
     
     
       2. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pair of carrier body buttons coupled to the carrier body; 
 a pair of waist belt buttons coupled to the waist belt; and 
 a pair of slots formed in respective ones of the pair of conversion flaps; 
 the pair of slots being configured to receive respective ones of the pair of carrier body buttons when the conversion flaps are in the narrow configuration; 
 the pair of slots being configured to receive respective ones of the pair of waist belt buttons when the conversion flaps are in the wide configuration. 
 
     
     
       3. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier body is pivotally coupled to the waist belt and transitional between an upper configuration and a lower configuration relative to the waist belt when the waist belt and shoulder straps are worn by the wearer, the degree of overlap between the carrier body and waist belt increasing as the carrier body transitions from the upper configuration to the lower configuration. 
     
     
       4. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of connectors coupled to respective ones of the shoulder straps and the carrier body for selectively connecting the shoulder straps to the carrier body. 
     
     
       5. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 4 , wherein each connector includes a male connector component and a corresponding female connector component which is releasably engageable to the male connector component. 
     
     
       6. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the infant carrier is configured to be wearable in any one of three discrete front carry configurations, wherein the infant is supported over the wearer's chest and a back carry configuration, wherein the infant is supported over the wearer's back. 
     
     
       7. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 6 , wherein the carrier body includes a main portion and an upper portion foldable relative to the main portion between an inward facing configuration and an outward facing configuration, the upper portion being folded over the main portion to at least partially overlap the main portion when the upper portion is in the outward facing configuration. 
     
     
       8. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 7 , wherein the front carry configurations include:
 a first configuration wherein the conversion flaps are in the narrow configuration and the carrier body is in the inward facing configuration; 
 a second configuration wherein the conversion flaps are in the narrow configuration and the carrier body is in the outward facing position; and 
 a third configuration wherein the conversion flaps are in the wide configuration and the carrier body is in the inward facing position. 
 
     
     
       9. An adjustable infant carrier wearable by a user for carrying an infant, the infant carrier comprising:
 a pair of shoulder straps; 
 a pair of adjustment straps, each adjustment strap being coupled to and extending from a respective one of the shoulder straps; 
 a pair of loop straps, each loop strap extending between a respective one of the shoulder straps and a respective one of the adjustment straps such that a pair of closed loops are completely and collectively defined by respective ones of the shoulder straps, the adjustment straps, and the loop straps; and 
 a carrier body connectable to the shoulder straps, the carrier body having a middle section and a pair of conversion flaps disposed on opposed sides of the middle section, each conversion flap being selectively transitional between a narrow configuration and a wide configuration, the degree of overlap between the conversion flap and the middle section decreasing as the conversion flap transitions from the narrow configuration toward the wide configuration. 
 
     
     
       10. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 9 , wherein:
 each shoulder strap includes a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; 
 each adjustment strap extends from the distal end portion of the respective one of the shoulder straps; 
 each loop strap extends from the respective one of the adjustment straps and the proximal end portion of the respective one of the shoulder straps. 
 
     
     
       11. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 9 , wherein each loop strap is elastic and extends along an axis so as to be axially stretchable along the axis between an extended configuration and a contracted configuration, each loop strap being biased toward the contracted configuration. 
     
     
       12. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 9 , wherein the infant carrier is configured to be wearable in any one of three discrete front carry configurations, wherein the infant is supported over the wearer's chest and a back carry configuration, wherein the infant is supported over the wearer's back. 
     
     
       13. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 12 , wherein the carrier body includes a main portion and an upper portion foldable relative to the main portion between an inward facing configuration and an outward facing configuration, the upper portion being folded over the main portion to at least partially overlap the main portion when the upper portion is in the outward facing configuration. 
     
     
       14. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 13 , wherein the front carry configurations include:
 a first configuration wherein the conversion flaps are in the narrow configuration and the carrier body is in the inward facing configuration; 
 a second configuration wherein the conversion flaps are in the narrow configuration and the carrier body is in the outward facing position; and 
 a third configuration wherein the conversion flaps are in the wide configuration and the carrier body is in the inward facing position. 
 
     
     
       15. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 9 , further comprising a waist belt coupled to the carrier body. 
     
     
       16. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 15 , wherein the carrier body is pivotally coupled to the waist belt and transitional between an upper configuration and a lower configuration relative to the waist belt when the waist belt and shoulder straps are worn by the wearer, the degree of overlap between the carrier body and waist belt increasing as the carrier body transitions from the upper configuration to the lower configuration. 
     
     
       17. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a pair of carrier body fasteners coupled to the carrier body; 
 a pair of waist belt fasteners coupled to the waist belt; and 
 a pair of flap fasteners disposed on respective ones of the pair of conversion flaps; 
 the pair of flap fasteners being configured to engage with respective ones of the pair of carrier body fasteners when the conversion flaps are in the narrow configuration; 
 the pair of flap fasteners being configured to engage with respective ones of the pair of waist belt fasteners when the conversion flaps are in the wide configuration. 
 
     
     
       18. The adjustable infant carrier of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the pair of carrier body fasteners includes a pair of carrier body buttons; 
 the pair of waist belt fasteners includes a pair of waist belt buttons; 
 the pair of flap fasteners includes a pair of slots;
 the pair of slots being configured to receive respective ones of the carrier body buttons when the conversion flaps are in the narrow configuration; 
 the pair of slots being configured to receive respective ones of the waist belt buttons when the conversion flaps are in the wide configuration.